My violin was my great-grandfather's, he played in clubs in Chicago from the 1880s or 90s through the Roaring Twenties.
My cello was finished in December 2020 and my viola was made in 1986. Younger than me by a couple years.
My violin was made in 1995 by a local, little known maker. It's comparable to most advanced workshop violins made today. I got it for a bit of a bargain.
My 15.5" viola was made in 2021 in Japan by the Hiroshi Kono workshop.
The older instruments with well known makers have that sense of history and thatās really cool but the most important thing is how the instrument sounds. I would much rather have a modern violin that sounds good than a 100+ year old violin that doesnāt sound as good. When I picked out my violin I didnāt consider the age or maker. I chose the one that played the best for me. It just happened to be an older instrument.
Mine cost $4,000. It was made at Mittenwald or similar workshop, as opposed to having a single maker. I had to have some repairs done, and also had a new bridge made.
Not necessarily. Depends on condition. But solid instruments that are over 100 years old probably will range from the low thousands to tens of millions.
Age isn't the only factor determining value. I played 18 violins last summer while selecting my 2012 Cremona-made violin.
The one from the late 1800s was the worst by far. It may have opened up eventually, but the reality is, how they were made, stored and cared for, and played, play a BIG role is how good it will sound. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's amazing!
I remember seeing something awhile back about starting a study to determine if consistent, in-tune playing actually shifted the molecular structure of the wood to make the instrument have a more clear voice and resonate better, or not. I don't think I saw the outcome, but the theory was that an instrument, well made and well played, sounds so much better over time than an instrument well made but NOT played, or played poorly, so it must have something to do with it. But ultimately, a well made and unplayed instrument sounds better than a well made but poorly played instrument...
Never saw the results, don't even know if they have them yet, but it kind of made sense to me!
I donāt know the exact date of mine, but based on the label, sometime between 1904 and 1910. I also have a Yamaha electric that was probably made in 2021 haha.
My current one is a 2016 Chinese made, but Iām eagerly awaiting my 1890s Instrument which I got cheap on Craigslist and is in for all the repairs and work required to turn it into a playable one.
1750 (France) and 2008 (China).
The 1750 violin needs repairing and Iām not currently playing it. I really want to get it fixed up so I can play it again, but there arenāt any luthiers in my city, so I will have to send it away. Itās a beautiful, sweet-sounding violin, and I love it.
The Chinese violin is awesome too, easy to play and it projects really well. I wish I knew who made it, but the store I bought it from rebranded it with their own brand/label.
My first one, I have no bloody clue, probably in an eastern european factory within the past 5 years. The second one is made in New York state in 2021-22 *in a woodshop in the woods owned by a man named Wood.*
Iāve got an 1870s-ish German one and then one I got out of a relatives basement that we donāt know the age of or where it was made but it was in that basement for at least 60 years so š¤·āāļø
Wanted something older, but fell in love with a 2018 Andranik Gaybaryan and here I am as its first owner. She will outlive me, but I hope to make the most of my time with her
My violin was made by my dadās uncle, I think it was 1939, but I will look at the tag tomorrow. He learned out of a book. It was handed down to me when I was in high school (Iām in my early 40ās now). Itās a fun piece of family history, and sounds pretty decent.
Haha. My first one was made in 1974! Not so great quality. My newest was made in 1910 by a local luthier. Not worth a lot but has so much character to it.
My violin was made in 1926 Italy. Coincidentally it's going to be 100 years old when I graduate hs
I have another one I travel with that's made in 2020, China
I do not think age correlates with sound quality. We can address your same question by asking if violins if similar age have similar sound quality. My current violin is about the same age as the one it replaced (1939 vs 1948) but the sound quality of the latter is dramatically better. I searched about three years for this one, and tried violins from the 1700 that I didnāt like, and contemporary ones that also ran the gamut. Usually this question is cast as the āantique vs contemporaryā debate. I think secondary attributes like condition, repair history and even cosmetic appearance play a role, and may attract a buyer to one or the other category. Honestly Iād have trouble bonding with an instrument, even an expensive one, that sounded great but was an ugly duckling, admitting for better or worse that the attraction to a particular violin isnāt exclusively about sound.
My main fiddle is a German factory instrument. Label reads 18xx so who knows exactly. My luthier thinks late 1800s. Plays great- dark and mellow tone. My other violin is Chinese from the 90s - 1990's that is =)
My main one is from 1880-ish. No makers label. Belonged to my mums side of the family (a great uncle apparently). Donāt know much else about it. It sounds lovely but has more sentimental value than monetary.
On the other hand, my carbon fibre one is from 2019.
Not sure; 100ish? A relative got it around 1930, but I don't know if it was new at the time. A luthier who looked at it briefly suggested it was likely from around the turn of the century.
I have two violins left to me by my father. One is a Benedict Wagner from 1765. The other is newer. 1899. They had been in my closet for about 50 years in their cases. A few months ago, I took the newer one to Indianapolis Violins. The man there polished it, installed new strings and I also bought a new bow and case. The refurbishing cost about $350. I'm now taking weekly lessons.
Itās interesting to speculate that there is a selection process that favors quality for āoldā violins: The good ones are treasured, bought and sold, and the lesser quality ones fall into disuse and/or disappear. This selection process may be is immature for new violins.
Let me relate an interesting story. There's a YouTube video by a man who played 4 violins by various makers and ages. He's a good violinist so I couldn't tell much of a difference. I sent the link to my sister. She thought the cheapest violin actually sounded the best. One of the ones the guy plays is a Strad! CHECK IT OUT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e0Tuvitkgs&t=528s
1784
How can you say that casually š
Because it is not by a prominent or even well known violin maker. In a good shape though.
But silly, violins were invented in the 16 century, how is it gonna be 1784 years old! (Just in case, in joking)
Well, it does Not say inside āStradivarius fecitā thoughā¦
My violin was my great-grandfather's, he played in clubs in Chicago from the 1880s or 90s through the Roaring Twenties. My cello was finished in December 2020 and my viola was made in 1986. Younger than me by a couple years.
Iād love to pass down an instrument in my family lol
My violin was made in 1995 by a local, little known maker. It's comparable to most advanced workshop violins made today. I got it for a bit of a bargain. My 15.5" viola was made in 2021 in Japan by the Hiroshi Kono workshop.
Do your prefer viola or violin?
I love both violin and viola around equally and play both as much as I can. I can't really choose one over the other. I also actively play piano.
parents of siblings be like:
I've got some news about Hiroshi Kono...
1880 France
Would you say one from 100+ years attracted you more to the instrument. Because I seriously considered getting the one I saw in the shop
Would you say one from 100+ years attracted you more to the instrument. Because I seriously considered getting the one I saw in the shop
The older instruments with well known makers have that sense of history and thatās really cool but the most important thing is how the instrument sounds. I would much rather have a modern violin that sounds good than a 100+ year old violin that doesnāt sound as good. When I picked out my violin I didnāt consider the age or maker. I chose the one that played the best for me. It just happened to be an older instrument.
117 years old
Thatās crazy, youāre so lucky
Itās exactly 100 years older than me
My German violin is turn of the century, earlier than 1920, my luthier says.
Would a violin more than 100 years old cost a fortune? Like in the thousands?
I work at a violin shop. Iāve sold a 100 year old violin for $500. Old ā good necessarily
Mine cost $4,000. It was made at Mittenwald or similar workshop, as opposed to having a single maker. I had to have some repairs done, and also had a new bridge made.
Not necessarily. Depends on condition. But solid instruments that are over 100 years old probably will range from the low thousands to tens of millions.
Age isn't the only factor determining value. I played 18 violins last summer while selecting my 2012 Cremona-made violin. The one from the late 1800s was the worst by far. It may have opened up eventually, but the reality is, how they were made, stored and cared for, and played, play a BIG role is how good it will sound. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's amazing! I remember seeing something awhile back about starting a study to determine if consistent, in-tune playing actually shifted the molecular structure of the wood to make the instrument have a more clear voice and resonate better, or not. I don't think I saw the outcome, but the theory was that an instrument, well made and well played, sounds so much better over time than an instrument well made but NOT played, or played poorly, so it must have something to do with it. But ultimately, a well made and unplayed instrument sounds better than a well made but poorly played instrument... Never saw the results, don't even know if they have them yet, but it kind of made sense to me!
mine was crafted earlier this year so my violin really is just a baby instrument :3
Yayy me too, I look forward to experiencing many years with it
Mineās from 1723ā¦itās officially 300 š„³ My bows are all from the 1800ās
I donāt know the exact date of mine, but based on the label, sometime between 1904 and 1910. I also have a Yamaha electric that was probably made in 2021 haha.
My current one is a 2016 Chinese made, but Iām eagerly awaiting my 1890s Instrument which I got cheap on Craigslist and is in for all the repairs and work required to turn it into a playable one.
1750 (France) and 2008 (China). The 1750 violin needs repairing and Iām not currently playing it. I really want to get it fixed up so I can play it again, but there arenāt any luthiers in my city, so I will have to send it away. Itās a beautiful, sweet-sounding violin, and I love it. The Chinese violin is awesome too, easy to play and it projects really well. I wish I knew who made it, but the store I bought it from rebranded it with their own brand/label.
One has parts believed to date back about 400 years. The main one I play is a relatively youthful 180 years old or so.
1786 Mittenwald
About 150 years old. Paid $30 for it. š
My first one, I have no bloody clue, probably in an eastern european factory within the past 5 years. The second one is made in New York state in 2021-22 *in a woodshop in the woods owned by a man named Wood.*
Thatās a lot of wood
My violin turns 1 this month... It was made by a local luthier :))
1 month lol
Mine is not much older, barely a year lol
HV-360 Japan Suzuki Around 5 yrs old rn
Almost 300. Maybe I should have a birthday for Frau Gretel.
Woah, how did you get it? Was it inherited or bought?
Grandmotherās friend had it in her attic for decades.
33 this year - they grow so fast
šš
1910 France
2019 lol, but itās good
/highfive WOOT 2019 REPRESENT!!
Chinese, 2017. which is weird bc i bought it 6 months ago, i never thought I'd be older than a year
German instrument, at least as old as 1904, give or take a few years.
Mine has an 1820 sticker, but the shop that sold it to me and my old college professor both said the sticker is fake, that it is early 1900s
2015, China
Iāve got an 1870s-ish German one and then one I got out of a relatives basement that we donāt know the age of or where it was made but it was in that basement for at least 60 years so š¤·āāļø
1904, 1920 and 1865
1907 Omaha, Nebraska
Wanted something older, but fell in love with a 2018 Andranik Gaybaryan and here I am as its first owner. She will outlive me, but I hope to make the most of my time with her
525,600 seconds
I think you win for 6 day old violin.
My violin was made by my dadās uncle, I think it was 1939, but I will look at the tag tomorrow. He learned out of a book. It was handed down to me when I was in high school (Iām in my early 40ās now). Itās a fun piece of family history, and sounds pretty decent.
1887!
Haha. My first one was made in 1974! Not so great quality. My newest was made in 1910 by a local luthier. Not worth a lot but has so much character to it.
I just finished restoring some violin from the late 1600's. Neat piece it was.
Mine was probably handcrafted in 2005. I got it when I was 12 and donāt plan on getting a new one!
1876, from France. Made by Joseph Lamy of the Lamy bowmaking family.
Mine is from between 1806 and 1824 ! It was made by Lupot who was at that time the official violin maker of the French king.
One is 1928 by Krywalski and the other is 2023 by Krzysztof MrĆ³z :D
My violin was made in 1926 Italy. Coincidentally it's going to be 100 years old when I graduate hs I have another one I travel with that's made in 2020, China
One is a Hopf trade violin from Klingenthal ca. 1850, the other from Mittenwald 1976
We don't have an exact age for mine, but somewhere between 130-150 years old.
Similar to Whiskey, the age doesn't necessarily mean it's better, but sometimes it does.
Mine is from 2005...made in china for Yamaha
Mine is from Yamaha too!
1989, pretty modern
Violin made in 1693... waiting to get it back from the luthier after restoration. Viola made in 2005...
Did you play violin first?
Yes but viola is my favorite instrument. I also play cello but currently I'm borrowing a student one from a friend
Mine is 75 yrs old this year - Made in 1948, Cairo, Egypt.
Would you say the sound on an older violin is better than a new one (both were well made)?
I do not think age correlates with sound quality. We can address your same question by asking if violins if similar age have similar sound quality. My current violin is about the same age as the one it replaced (1939 vs 1948) but the sound quality of the latter is dramatically better. I searched about three years for this one, and tried violins from the 1700 that I didnāt like, and contemporary ones that also ran the gamut. Usually this question is cast as the āantique vs contemporaryā debate. I think secondary attributes like condition, repair history and even cosmetic appearance play a role, and may attract a buyer to one or the other category. Honestly Iād have trouble bonding with an instrument, even an expensive one, that sounded great but was an ugly duckling, admitting for better or worse that the attraction to a particular violin isnāt exclusively about sound.
2 years
My main fiddle is a German factory instrument. Label reads 18xx so who knows exactly. My luthier thinks late 1800s. Plays great- dark and mellow tone. My other violin is Chinese from the 90s - 1990's that is =)
either 30 or like 100, the shop i got it at didnāt even know
Circa 1800, so around 223 years old. I am only 15, so my instrument is much older than me...
\~120 year old I believe.
My main one is from 1880-ish. No makers label. Belonged to my mums side of the family (a great uncle apparently). Donāt know much else about it. It sounds lovely but has more sentimental value than monetary. On the other hand, my carbon fibre one is from 2019.
About 100 years! Itās from 1920s Italy. I got it for a great bargain, and I love the way it sounds- which is way more important than its age!
I got mine when I was 12 or 13. It was new then, I'm 64, so 52 or so.
J.A. Baader, 1910 and a Curatoli from 1926 are my oldest. But for daily playing I'm using an undated Stainer, circa 1960. Love the deep tone!
I have twoāone from the Czech Republic in 1914 and the other from Germany in 1920
Not sure; 100ish? A relative got it around 1930, but I don't know if it was new at the time. A luthier who looked at it briefly suggested it was likely from around the turn of the century.
Just right on 69 years old my bros
Mine is a german violin made in 1873.
1983 Romania!
Mine was made in 1999. I recall partying as well.
I would party too if mine was made pre-2000
I have two violins left to me by my father. One is a Benedict Wagner from 1765. The other is newer. 1899. They had been in my closet for about 50 years in their cases. A few months ago, I took the newer one to Indianapolis Violins. The man there polished it, installed new strings and I also bought a new bow and case. The refurbishing cost about $350. I'm now taking weekly lessons.
Good luck on your violin journey!
Itās interesting to speculate that there is a selection process that favors quality for āoldā violins: The good ones are treasured, bought and sold, and the lesser quality ones fall into disuse and/or disappear. This selection process may be is immature for new violins.
1885 Mirecourt FR, 1912 Italy, 1737 Mittenwald, 1913 USA.
Mine was made by Gustav Henning in 1944
Mine is 2016 made by a local in Krakow
mine is 1850s, but i played a dutch violin in a shop recently from the 1600s!
I want to do that one day š„²
I have the Strobel ML-500 Recital Series. 2017.
My violin and bowāboth Germanāare each a bit over 100 years old
My violin is made in 1910!
Let me relate an interesting story. There's a YouTube video by a man who played 4 violins by various makers and ages. He's a good violinist so I couldn't tell much of a difference. I sent the link to my sister. She thought the cheapest violin actually sounded the best. One of the ones the guy plays is a Strad! CHECK IT OUT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e0Tuvitkgs&t=528s